This application claims the priority of German application 101 16 224.3, filed Mar. 30, 2001, the disclosure of which is expressly incorporated by reference herein.
The invention relates to a method of adjusting a door-side safety device of an airplane door, in which case, in the closed condition, with an adjusting safety device, a safety element of a safety shaft is adjusted with respect to the engagement of a stop device of a locking shaft of a locking device, so that an adjustment can take place between a locked condition of the door and a secured locked condition of the door, and a driving force for the adjustment of the safety device is generated by a driving device which can be coupled with the safety shaft. Furthermore, the invention relates to an arrangement for adjusting a door-side safety device of an airplane door, in which case, in the closed condition, a safety element of the safety shaft of a safety device can be adjusted with respect to the engagement of a stop device of the locking shaft of a locking device, and the safety device adjusts the locking device between the locked condition and the condition of a secured locking, and the safety device can be adjusted by a driving device.
The closing operation of a known airplane door comprises the swivelling of the airplane door from an end position in front of the opening in the airplane fuselage. This is implemented by a swivelling device of the door. Subsequently, the door is lowered into a closed condition. This is implemented by a lowering or lifting mechanism. Furthermore, the airplane door is locked by means of a locking device in the closed condition. This locking device is then secured by means of a safety device. This is called a secured locking.
A reverse sequence takes place during the opening operation. The safety device is operated for releasing the locking device. Subsequently, the locking device is unlocked. In this case, the door is still in the closed condition. The door is then lifted by means of the lifting/lowering mechanism and, when the end of the lifting path has been reached, the door starts to swing into an end position of the opening.
In the case of known airplane doors, the operation of the door for reaching the individual conditions is controlled by means of at least one door-side hand lever (interior hand lever/exterior hand lever), which in the following will only be called xe2x80x9cinterior hand leverxe2x80x9d. In this case, the interior hand lever is moved on a moving path from an initial position into an end position, and when defined points on the moving path of the interior hand lever have been reached, the control of the individual devices is initiated and/or terminated. Each of the devices contains mechanisms consisting of subassemblies, structural members and components, driving devices and power transmission devices also being present.
In the case of airplanes with known kinematics for opening and closing a door, an operating device, such as the hand lever, is always arranged on the interior and exterior side of the door. With the development of large aircraft, the vertical distance between the airplane door and the standing area on the ground is increased. The operating of an interior hand lever of an opened door is ergonomically not optimal. The operator must lean out of the door opening in order to reach the interior hand lever. The operation of an interior hand lever of an opened door situated in the end position is not yet sufficiently comfortable.
It is an object of the invention to further improve the ergonomics for the operation of the door.
This object is achieved according to certain preferred embodiments of the invention by providing a method of adjusting a door-side safety device of an airplane door, in the closed condition, with an adjusting of the safety device, a safety element of a safety shaft being adjusted with respect to the engagement of a stop device of a locking shaft of a locking device, so that an adjustment can take place between a locked condition of the door and a secured locked condition of the door, and a driving force for the adjustment of the safety device is generated by a driving device which can be coupled with the safety shaft, wherein the safety shaft of the safety device arranged on the door side can be adjusted between the locked condition and the secured locked condition by means of a coupling device by a driving device arranged on the frame side.
In a further development of certain preferred embodiments of the invention, a driving device, which is arranged in the structure of the frame and has an operating shaft, is coupled by way of a coupling device arrangeable between the door and the frame with the door-side safety shaft of a safety device, the driving device adjusting the coupling device such that, in the secured locked condition, the operating shaft is coaxially coupled with the safety shaft and, in the unsecured locked condition, the shafts are uncoupled and offset with respect to one another.
The object is also achieved according to certain preferred embodiments of the invention by providing an arrangement for adjusting a door-side safety device of an airplane door, in the closed condition, a safety element of the safety shaft of a safety device being adjustable with respect to the engagement of a stop device of the locking shaft of a locking device, and the safety device adjusting the locking device between the locked condition and the secured locked condition, and the safety device being adjustable by a driving device, wherein the safety shaft arranged on the door side is coupled by way of a coupling device arranged between the door and the frame with a driving device arranged on the frame side and connected by way of an operating shaft.
Another advantageous characteristic of certain preferred embodiments in that the driving device is a mechanically acting hand lever. However, it may also be an electrically controllable electric drive according to the preferred embodiments of the invention.
It is another characteristic of certain preferred embodiments of the invention is that the coupling device is formed of a coupling subassembly arranged on the frame side and of a coupling subassembly arranged on the door side, the frame-side coupling subassembly being connected with the operating shaft and the door-side coupling subassembly being connected with the safety shaft.
In certain preferred embodiments of the invention, the frame-side coupling subassembly is formed of a catch band, while the door-side coupling subassembly is formed as a roller lever. The coupling device engages the two coupling subassemblies such that the operating shaft and the safety shaft are held coaxial with respect to one another. During the uncoupling, the safety shaft takes up a changed position with respect to the operating shaft.
The invention clearly improves the ergonomics for operating an airplane door, particularly a passenger door. When the airplane door is open, an operating of the door takes place by operating elements in the cabin interior which are arranged next to the door opening in the fuselage. Such an operating element may also be a mechanically acting interior hand lever or a controllable electric drive which acts as an actuator and can be controlled by way of a keyboard.
The invention permits the controlling of the door movement by way of a device arranged on the frame side, and in the locked condition of the door, the triggering of a door-side movement of the safety shaft of a safety device, so that the locking device can be secured or the securing can be released.
Other objects, advantages and novel features of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of the invention when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.